Quest Food Exchange

Decoding 'Best Before' Dates

2011-11-18T11:47:00.000-08:00

Quest volunteer Florence did a little sleuthing and cleared up some misconceptions about best before dates. Read on!I always find it tricky to decipher the “best before” date on a pre-packaged food item. Does “MA” refer to March or May? Is it the year first or the day first? Is the food safe to eat after the “best before” date?As long as the food is kept in proper storage conditions, it should

General Operating Grants Received from Sook Ching Foundation and Marin Investments Ltd.

2011-11-02T13:19:00.000-07:00

The Quest Food Exchange was recently the recipient of two generous grants for our general operating expenses. The first was from Sook Ching Foundation, who donated $5,000 and the other was from Marin Investments Ltd., who donated $3,500. "We’re especially grateful for undesignated grants since this allows Quest to put the funds toward the area of most need" said Elizabeth Crudgington, Quest's

UBC Land and Food Systems Project for Quest

2011-11-02T09:01:00.000-07:00

This is the first post in a series detailing a Community Food System project by six UBC students helping Quest this semester. Hi! My name is Fion, I am currently in my third year studying Nutritional Science in the faculty of Land and Food Systems at UBC. In my faculty, Land and Food Systems (LFS), we explore topics such as sustainability, food security, and issues relating to the food system

Quest's Partnership Appreciation Event 2011

2011-10-25T10:25:00.000-07:00

As we've talked about previously, Quest has been fortunate enough to be able to collaborate with Growing Chefs, an amazing not-for-profit aimed at educating children on gardening, cooking, and healthy eating. The partnership between our two organizations seemed to be a natural fit.On October 13th, 2011, we invited our food vendor and social service agency partners, as well as other stakeholders

Quest Video

2011-10-14T14:11:00.000-07:00

Check out this video made by our Marketing interns, John-Michael Parra and Julie Petrynko. It includes interviews with agency partners, vendors, financial sponsors, and clients. Let us know what you think!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJdcbBuKcLM

UBC Students Donate to Quest

2011-10-12T12:08:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I was asked by Dennis, a lecturer at UBC, to explain to his class a bit about what Quest does. I was honoured to be invited into their classroom. All of his students are part of the Global Academic Internship Program (GAIP) at UBC and are fairly new to Canada. This meant that they were also unfamiliar with some of the social issues that face Canadians. My challenge was to get

First West Foundation Funds Purchase of Cooler for Surrey Store

2011-09-21T11:06:00.001-07:00

Visitors to the Surrey location of the Quest Food Exchange will have better choices in fresh produce thanks to a $10,000 donation from the First West Foundation that helped Quest purchase a used walk-in cooler and freezer. The addition of this amenity will allow Quest to collect and store more perishable items on site, so that donations last longer and our clients will benefit from having fresher

Kiwassa Neighbourhood House Opens Up Shop for All to Visit

2011-09-13T13:27:00.000-07:00

All are welcome to attend Kiwassa Neighbourhood House's third annual Open House. Kiwassa is a wonderful supporter of Quest's programs, ordering items from us for their Family Food Bank on a regular basis. Besides the Food Bank, they work diligently to provide a range of low-cost or free services to people of all ages.Located at 2425 Oxford St in Vancouver, the event runs from 3 to 7 pm on

Quest Welcomes Clients to Grand Opening

2011-08-29T14:10:00.000-07:00

As we approach the end of summer and we all begin to prepare ourselves for the fall, it has been my experience that there is a tendency for many of us to be filled with a sense of loss as we anticipate the onset of shorter days and rainy nights. Regardless of the inevitable weather shift, this upcoming fall is an exciting time here at Quest as we embark on a variety of new beginnings and

Red Peppers Will Put a Pep in Your Step

2011-08-25T14:06:00.000-07:00

Another recipe post brought to you by Quest volunteer Kelsey. For all of our blog followers out there who shop at our Dundas store location, I wanted to put the word out that we just received a shipment of fresh sweet red bell peppers that look so good they deserve their own blog post. With their wonderful combination of tangy taste and crunchy texture, sweet bell peppers are the adornment of

Lentils: Yummy and Environmentally Friendly

2011-08-15T16:15:00.000-07:00

Here is another blog post from Quest volunteer Kathleen. Lentils are good for you and the environment too! This is a good staple recipe that is very cheap to put together when you are trying to stretch your dollars. Lentils are not only tasty and nutritious, but also quicker and easier to prepare than other dried beans, because they don’t require pre-soaking. Lentils are an excellent source

Up for a Sustainable Challenge?

2011-08-04T13:42:00.000-07:00

This post has been brought to you by Quest volunteer Kelsey. Another good one!August is an exciting month here in the Lower Mainland. The sun is finally shining and the city has a stack of outdoor activities, events and other awesome opportunities for people to get outside, and connect with their communities. We at Quest encourage you to get out there and enjoy it! Summer has been predicted to be

That's corn-y!

2011-07-25T15:11:00.000-07:00

Quest volunteer Kelsey has provided us with another great post, this time about seasonal vegetables. The treacherous weather that seems to have cursed the Lower Mainland this summer may have left some of us feeling as though it is not really summer at all. However despite the grey skies and damp weather, we are rapidly approaching an exciting time in the Canadian culinary world: the fall harvest

Poem for a Friday

2011-07-22T14:35:00.000-07:00

Quest volunteer Kelsey found this lovely poem about kitchen tables and thought it'd be a brilliant addition to the blog. We agree!Perhaps the World Ends HereBy: Joy HarjoThe world begins at a kitchen table. No matter what,we must eat to live.The gifts of the earth are brought and prepared, set on the table.So it has been since creation, and it will go on.We chase chickens or dogs away from it.

City of Vancouver Finally Gets Behind Composting

2011-07-14T15:21:00.000-07:00

Quest volunteer, Kelsey, has done research on the City of Vancouver's improved composting program. 'Bout time!It was announced this week that Vancouver City Council has approved plans to expand the multi-family food scraps collection pilot project throughout the city by next fall. The project will work toward decreasing the amount of waste the city produces through mass compost collection.By next

611 E. Hastings

2011-07-12T11:14:00.000-07:00

Word has been circulating on the streets.We’ve mentioned it on Twitter. Someone let the cat out of the bag on Facebook. Quest’s Hastings store moved!For months, we have been strategizing and executing tiny details. Just last week, our 346 E. Hastings location shut its doors and, at long last, we opened at 611 E. Hastings, a mere three blocks from our previous location.Our new store is part of the

Strawberry Season Signals Summer

2011-06-29T11:48:00.000-07:00

It may not seem like summer just yet, but here is another post from Quest volunteer Talia that will make it even harder to wait for warmer weather.As the summer months continue to approach, BC's local berries are becoming more plentiful. Starting last week, local strawberries began to make appearances at local grocers and farmers' markets. While the strawberry season tends to be short, there is

Quest x Vancouver Farmers Markets

2011-06-20T12:53:00.000-07:00

The folks at Vancouver Farmers Markets offer a great initiative for community organizations whose mandates pertain to food systems: Community Tables. These tables are booths just like the other vendors have, but no food is for sale. In true Farmers Market tradition though, there are still conversations started and information shared. Quest Food Exchange will have educational outreach booths at

Gluten-Free Banana Bread Recipe

2011-06-10T13:52:00.000-07:00

This post comes from a new volunteer at Quest, Kathleen. Kathleen is learning how to accommodate her gluten intolerance, and has showed some interest in posting recipes that are gluten-free. Without further ado, here is her first recipe!Hearty and Healthy Banana Bread This is a great way to use up leftover or overripe bananas. Instead of letting brown bananas to waste I freeze them and then

Spot Prawns: A Sustainable Local Delicacy

2011-06-08T15:39:00.000-07:00

A post from Quest volunteer, Talia, on her introduction to BC spot prawns. This week, I had my first spot prawn experience. In the past few years, I had stopped eating shrimp as I had learned that the international shrimping industry was wreaking havoc on the environment. Spot prawns are native to BC waters and are wild (rather than farmed), sustainable, and less vulnerable to fishing pressures

Good Things Are Growing at Windermere Secondary

2011-05-25T14:37:00.000-07:00

This week, Quest volunteer, Talia, and I took a little trip to Windermere Secondary School in East Vancouver. I had heard amazing things about their gardening and farming project, and wanted to check it out firsthand. Two students there, Brendan and Cassandra, were kind enough to give us a tour of their facility.I’m not sure what your high school courtyard was like, but mine certainly did not

Bee-ware a decline in the pollinator population

2011-05-18T10:56:00.000-07:00

Recent declines in bee populations are beginning to bring about more awareness regarding the importance of bees to our food system. While most people think of honey production when they think of bees, the critical role they play in the pollination of many of the foods we consume often goes unnoticed. It has been estimated that 1/3 of the human food supply is dependent on insect pollination. The

Thoughts on Change Through: Food Systems

2011-05-05T12:42:00.000-07:00

This week, I had the pleasure of attending a fantastic discussion put on by the organizers of Change Through ______. The topic of the day was Food Systems. In Vancouver, there are many passionate people who gather to discuss local issues, and this was a good representation. The format was not completely lecture-style, but instead welcomed much more participation from the audience, and opened the

Volunteer Entry: Talia Starts at Quest

2011-05-02T11:28:00.000-07:00

We're excited to welcome our newest office volunteer, Talia, to the Quest team. Talia has quite a bit of experience with food security and will contribute her knowledge to our fundraising and outreach efforts.My name is Talia and I recently started volunteering with Quest Food Exchange. As a newcomer to Vancouver, I was very excited to find an organization that was so passionate about ensuring

Building Community through 'Third Places'

2011-04-25T13:13:00.000-07:00

Much of the activity in cities occurs in its various public and private spaces. How this space is organized is a means by which our interactions can be choreographed and encouraged. One space that is important to citizen wellbeing is called the third place. Not the home and not the workplace, a third place is somewhere that promotes conversations and encounters with friends and neighbours, often